Colon cancer screening is very useful to prevent colon cancer. Colon color is also well known as colorectal cancer. Colon cancer is a disease in which cells in the colon or rectum become abnormal and divide without control, forming a mass called a tumor. Screening is checking for health problems before they cause symptoms. It can be avoided through some ways; one of them is by colon cancer screening. So, let’s begin with the definition of colon cancer screening. What is colon cancer screening? Colon cancer screening can detect cancer, polyps, non-polyps lesions, which are flat or slightly depressed areas of abnormal cell growth, and other conditions. Non polyp’s lesions occur less often than polyps, but they can also grow into colon cancer. Due to the risks of colon cancer, if you are over 50 or have a family history of colon cancer, talk to your doctor about getting colon cancer screening as soon as possible. Colon cancer screening saves lives. People should talk with their doctors about when to begin colon cancer screening, what tests to have, the benefits and harms of each test, and how often to schedule appointments. If a screening test finds an abnormality, the doctors will perform a physical exam and evaluate the person’s personal and family medical history. Additional tests may be ordered to follow up the result of the colon cancer screening.
Colon cancer screening: FOBT
There are many kinds of colon cancer screening depends on what your doctor recommends you to take. The common one is FOBT (Stool Test). There are two types of FOBT. One uses the chemical guaiacum to examine blood. The other, a fecal immunochemical test (FIT), uses antibodies to identify blood in the stool. You accept a test kit from your health care provider. At home, you apply a stick or brush to get a small amount of stool. You give the test kit back to the doctor or a lab, where the stool samples are checked for the existence of blood. Based on the research, this colon cancer screening can help decrease the number of deaths due to colorectal cancer. You can take it once a year.
Colon cancer screening: Colonoscopy
In this colon cancer screening, the rectum and entire colon are checked using a lighted device called a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is a colon cancer screening whose aim is to scan the inside of the colon, which can go away from the areas a sigmoidoscopy can reach. For the period of colonoscopy, precancerous and cancerous growths throughout the colon can be found and either removed or biopsied, including growths in the greater part of the colon, where they would be missed by sigmoidoscopy. During this colon cancer screening, the doctor can discover and eliminate most polyps and some cancers. On the other hand, it is not yet known for sure whether colonoscopy can help reduce the amount of deaths from colon cancer. A methodical purification of the colon is essential ahead of this test, and most patients obtain some outline of sedation. Colonoscopy also is used as a follow-up test if there is something extraordinary is found throughout one of the other screening tests.
Colon cancer screening: Sigmoidoscopy
For this colon cancer screening, the doctors place a short, thin, supple, lighted tube into your rectum. The doctor checks for polyps or cancer inside the rectum and lower third of the colon. You can take this test when you are 50. However, for people who are at an advanced risk for colorectal cancer due to ulcerative colitis, family history of colorectal cancer, or familial polyps, it is recommended for you that at age 35 you can do this colon cancer screening.
Summary:
Colon cancer screening is recommended to do if you are over 50 or have a family history of colon cancer. It has some types, and each type has its advantages and harms.